The Human Perspective
by super-sad-instrumental
Summary: "Why are you here, Agent Hill?" "To get closure". Maria Hill has some unfinished business with the God of Mischief, but can she hold her ground with only a glass wall between them and prove him wrong about the strength of humanity? A one-shot with a possibility for another chapter.


_**Movie!verse Maria Hill and Loki. Not a pairing(?).**_

_**I really like Maria Hill in the movie and I think she should've had more screen time to make us REALLY get to know her :) (that's why she's a bit OC-ish in this fic?) Well, I'm crossing my fingers for the upcoming Marvel movies and the S.H.I.E.L.D TV series! This fic is based on a conversation between an anon and a Loki role-player in Tumblr. I really wanted to give it all a human perspective, and couldn't stop myself from imagining what would Loki exactly say to a human he thought he was going to enslave in the end.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

Maria Hill never acted on her emotions alone. She was trained not to. But she wasn't the irrational, impulsive type by nature, either. She had always been very smart and calculating of her actions but did what was necessary. She was very intelligent indeed.

But she had one significant weakness. Maria Hill had never been able to forget or forgive easily, furthermore forgive herself. She didn't like mistakes, though she hadn't done many. She did what she knew had to be done, her job. But if she ever made a severe mistake, it haunted her for ages and she could never let it go until she would have some kind of closure.

That's why when they brought the so-called "God of Mischief" to the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier, Maria watched his arrival through the monitors with a frown on her face. Not only because he was a psychopath and a dangerous threat but because what she really saw in him, watching the god walking like he owned the world. Her mistake. She could have caught him before and this whole thing could have been avoided. But she had been stupid, not seeing the obvious. She had just let Loki get away with the Tesseract. He had looked suspicious to her but she still just ignored him. She should have known better. No matter how much Fury would tell her otherwise, it had been her fault.

He didn't try to escape while they locked him up, not once. And Maria was not the only one who found this strange. The god was up to something, there was no denying. Right after they had imprisoned him, Director Fury went in to talk to the monster. He ordered Maria to keep a close eye on the situation through the monitors.

* * *

Loki was everything that Maria hated. Narcissistic, a psychopath and above all, one of those maniacs who really thought they were doing a favor to the world. Figures, she thought. When you're dealing with super heroes, you've got to have super villains too. The god stood right in the middle of the cage and looked around, occasionally at the cameras he had found quickly, while wearing an arrogant smirk on his face. Whenever he looked straight to a camera, Maria felt a shiver of hatred inside her. He wasn't the first arrogant bastard she had dealt with but all she saw in him was her biggest mistake so far. And she wanted closure.

"It's an impressive cage," Maria heard Loki say to Nick Fury trough the monitor. The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had just demonstrated the god what would happen if he tried to escape. Not that he would any time soon, they were all quite positive of that. Loki motioned towards the cage's glass walls and added with a mischievous voice: "Not built, I think, for me?"

"Built for something a lot stronger than you," Fury answered giving the god a little hint. His endgame was to try to get the god reveal his plans. That of course wouldn't be an easy task, if there was any truth in Norse mythology about the God of Mischief and his Silver Tongue.

"Oh, I've heard," Loki replied with a wide grin and looked straight at the nearby camera. "The mindless beast makes play he's still a man."

Maria knew he was talking about Dr. Banner. To tell the truth, she wasn't exactly comfortable with having him on board. Yes, he was an expert on gamma radiation, the best there was, but they could have managed without him. Without the danger of what lurked inside him. But somehow she just had enough trust on Fury to stay on board with "the Avengers".

"How desperate are you?" Loki taunted Fury. "You call on such lost creatures to defend you." Fury exhaled heavily of Loki's words and Maria heard just a hint of anger rise in the Director's voice.

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

Fury's threat did not affect Loki in any way. On the contrary, he looked rather amused. Maria had seen this kind of behavior before. She knew what to expect. And she was right.

"Oh, it burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power," Loki said to Fury, trying to obviously push his buttons. "Unlimited power. And for what?" He looked up to the cameras again. "A warm light for all mankind to share? And then to be reminded what real power is."

His voice was like silk as he spoke. Humble, even. It made Maria even more furious. What gave him the right? His arrogance hit Maria right in her nerves. He wouldn't listen nor believe reason even if it punched him in the face. He was beyond reason. And for now, there was nothing to be done but to keep him imprisoned. Maria didn't like it, though. With all these "super heroes" on board and then this alien madman? All of S.H.I.E.L.D were way out of their heads here even thought no one would say it out loud.

"Well let me know if real power wants a magazine or something," Fury said with his usual tone and stormed out of the room his long cloak floating behind him.

Maria kept her eyes on the monitor even after Fury had gone. He would come to the main deck any minute now and she wanted to look at the monster in the glass cage when she still had the chance. He just stood there, in the middle of the cage. After Fury had left the room, he lowered his gaze to the floor. A wide grin with teeth spread across Loki's face as he raised his head and looked straight at the same camera. He was just playing with them, all of them. That manic grin was dedicated to everyone on board. Including Maria. She gritted her teeth and her eyes narrowed. She knew she was doing exactly what he wanted but still she couldn't help her feelings. She wanted to march straight to the mad prisoner and tell the god how much she truly despised him.

"I'll be back in a moment", Maria said to the nearby Agent, Jack was his name, and left the command deck quickly. She headed straight to the bathrooms and locked the door behind her after making sure she was alone. She then leaned into a sink with her hands and stared intensively at her own reflection. _Calm down_, she told herself. _Keep your head in the game. Don't let him get to you. He's just an arrogant bastard, a pathetic excuse of a man...if only someone could make him realize that too._

* * *

Maria brushed a hand through her bangs and sighed deeply as she walked through the corridor. If she acted quickly, she wouldn't be noticed. For the first time in her life, Maria was going to disobey. Or not. Director Fury hadn't told her not to visit the prisoner herself per ce. Though he had probably thought that to be a self-evidence. _No_, Maria thought. _I need this. I need closure._ She really did. And there was no other way.

It was easy to get past the guard. She was after all Fury's "right hand" so to speak, which gave her some very useful authority. Then there were the cameras. It wouldn't be a piece of cake but in theory she could just avoid them. Or at least try. She knew that right now the Director was speaking with the so-called heroes and if her calculations were correct she would have three to seven minutes with the prisoner. Fingers crossed that it would be enough.

As the door slipped open, Maria stepped inside only to find the god with his back on her. He stood quietly with his hands behind his back and his head lowered. Maria felt shivers down her spine. She wondered if he knew she was there and just played with her a little while longer. She stood still as she crossed her arms over her chest. She really didn't have time for this. Finally she opened her mouth to speak, trying to sound as strong and steady as possible. But just as she was going to say something, a low and mischievous voice came from the cage:

"I assume your Director did not send you to me." He didn't turn around or move an inch for that matter which made Maria a bit nervous. Though he had taken her by surprise with his words, Maria did not let it show on her. With a firm voice she replied:

"That's right." Loki turned his head slightly so that Maria almost saw his full profile and the small smirk that had appeared on his lips.

"Then why are you here, Agent Hill?" he asked with a light tone. Maria recognized something familiar in it, something she'd heard many times before. He thought himself above her. Could it be because of her sex? She was far too familiar with that one. She reminded herself that she didn't have much time, so she jumped right to the chase.

"To get closure," she said and walked closer to the cage, carefully, trying to avoid cameras. The black-haired god finally turned around to face her. She tried to hide it but her heart started beating a bit faster. Deep inside her terror lifted it's ugly head as the god's emerald eyes poured into hers, intrigued. His mouth hung slightly open as he seemed not to understand what she was talking about. Soon the realization hit him and a smile appeared on his face. He lifted his eyebrows and chuckled.

"If it is any consolation to you, Agent, I believe I had the upper hand before," he said, referring to the chase back at the tunnel. Maria lifted her head a bit and bit her teeth together. She didn't like the way Loki looked at her. He looked like he could burst into laugher while watching her. She couldn't help herself but to ask with an irritated voice:

"Care to tell me what's so damn hilarious?" The god looked very amused as he stated with false innocence:

"Oh, nothing at all."

A brief silence fell between the S.H.I.E.L.D agent and the God of Mischief. They both kept staring at each other, Maria with a firm gaze of hatred and annoyance and Loki with a slightly amused and arrogant look, as if he knew exactly what was going on in her head. Maria did not appreciate that at all.

"There, closure, of sort at least," the god said suddenly and lifted his arms a bit as if he had done her a favor. Maria did not think so, though. She didn't quite know what she had meant by closure. All she knew that the feeling of humiliation and anger was still strong in her. And she wanted him to know that.

"Unless, of course," Loki added, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You have something else you wish to say..."

As in a challenge, Loki stood still, his emerald-green eyes still focused on Maria, throwing the ball to her. The reasonable part of her told her to keep quiet and just walk away when she still could. She was dealing with a master of words, an enemy she could not defeat, not right now. She always listened to that part. And she would not make an exception because of this maniac who thought he owned the world.

As she gave him the last glare before quickly walking towards the exit, she saw from the corner of her eye how he still smiled, arrogant as ever and lowered his gaze. He then turned his head slightly towards her as Maria reached the door. But suddenly she stopped walking. She didn't reach for the door or even turn around. She just stood there, her mind going through too many thoughts at the same time. Why had she stopped? Because yes, she did have something else to say to this arrogant god. But it wasn't something that she'd do. She knew that if she spoke now she'd get in trouble. She'd get caught, with possibly very severe consequences and above all, might lose Fury's trust forever. And her odds at winning a war of words with Loki the God of Mischief weren't that good. And yet, there she stood, totally still, feeling Loki's waiting gaze at her back. She turned her head slightly to the side, so that he could se her mouth move as she spoke but never facing his piercing green eyes.

"You do know that even if we can't stop you," Maria said getting his full attention with her words. She then turned to face him crossing her arms again and continued with a steady voice. "You won't win. You never will. Even if you managed to destroy us all we're not the only ones who are willing to defend this planet."

Full of defiance she walked closer to the glass cage that separated the god from her. With his mouth slightly open, the god listened to her, his expression hard to read. He wasn't smiling anymore, that was for sure. Maria stopped a few feet away from the glass wall and finished her speech that would most likely get a counter argument from the god.

"We will defeat you. As long as there is even one human who is willing to stand up, there's hope. And as long as there's hope you won't win."

She knew that her words might have been a total cliché but she didn't care. She was right. And the so-called god should get that through his thick skull. His eyes narrowed when he closed his mouth as Maria stopped talking. She waited his response slightly worried. Though she wouldn't show it, she wasn't sure what she had just gotten herself into. A familiar grin suddenly found it's way on Loki's lips. The god slowly took a step towards the glass, testing her boundaries. But Maria stayed still, which seemed to please the god in a way. He then leaned a bit forward, his smile vanishing completely. His green menacing eyes glared at her intensively as he spoke with a low voice.

"What hope do sheep have against a wolf? Tell me this, Agent Hill," said the god and raised his chin a bit. "There is no hope to be had, so judging by your own logic I've already won. Imagine that. The Earth will be mine. Take solace in such truths, considering how much easier it will be to have all of you kneeling before me. The wolf amongst the flock as it were."

Didn't his arrogance show no boundaries? Maria felt the urge to run against the glass, hit it with her fists and yell at the god behind it, that much hatred welled inside her right now. But she was playing a game, a dangerous one. And she wasn't going to give up that easily.

"There is hope," she stated trying to keep herself as calm as possible. "You can try and deny that but it's there, believe me. You think you can just march in here and enslave us all, just like that? It's not all black and white. Not all will kneel."

"And what do you think I will do with the ones who won't?" he asked and walked slowly towards the thick glass wall of the cage. Maria wanted to back away a few steps but she knew that by doing that she'd show the fear that had started to grow inside her. So she stayed still as Loki walked right to the edge of the glass. Maria now saw how tall he exactly was. She was quite tall herself but he still manage to look down on her physically, his green gaze never leaving her eyes. She wanted to look away so badly but didn't. As he continued his voice became more and more intense, the way he carefully pronounced every word as if to make her understand their meaning better.

"Examples are made every day. Even a single mortal is hardly of any worth. Ants beneath my boot, Agent Hill."

Now she understood. He wasn't talking down on her because of her sex. He was talking down on her because she was human. Worthless, weak and stupid, was that how he really saw them all? She couldn't believe her ears that he really would despise them so much.

"If one were to be accused of denying anything, it would be you," he chuckled slightly. Taking Maria totally off guard he suddenly slammed his open hand against the glass wall, making her jump and back away those few steps that she had so desperately longed for. The smirk on his face disappeared completely and Maria felt like he could in fact break the glass if he wanted to. She kept telling herself it would be impossible but that didn't help her at all.

"Give in to your master's will, pet," he growled under his breath sending shivers down Maria's spine. She regretted ever coming to see the prisoner. Why was she here for anyway? To get closure, she said to herself. Well, it didn't do her much good now. Maria felt like a wild animal pinned down thought he was the one in a cage, not her. She felt ashamed and annoyed. She had been extremely stupid by coming here but she couldn't leave just yet. She needed to try and snap back at him.

She crossed her arms over her chest and recovered from the shock. Swallowing her fear she stepped towards the cage once more and now there was nothing except glass between her and the god. He hovered above her, suddenly placing his other hand to the glass as well. Maria felt trapped but didn't move. She tried to ignore the feeling and the look on Loki's face wasn't helping at all. It was somehow so raw and animalistic...unhuman. His mouth hang slightly open and he breathed heavily against the glass. He looked like a predator with his eyes on the prey. With those hungry eyes his hands seemed to press against the glass harder every second, wanting to get his hands on her. This disturbed Maria greatly. She grew worried at his behaviour. She knew better than to attract attention from a dangerous man, never less a god. She hoped it was partially just her ming playing tricks at her and gathering her thoughts she spoke up.

"Pet? I've been called worse," she said eyes narrowing. "And I think you already know my answer: I'll never give in. And I'm not the only one. After it's all over we'll see who's the delusional one here."

With that she quickly turned around and started pacing towards the exit as fast as possible yet trying to not give the impression of escaping. She didn't look back again at the god but she didn't have to. She knew how his sparkling emerald eyes were looking at her. Before she could make it to the door, she heard his low voice say in a demanding tone:

"I do not think we are quite done yet, Agent Hill." Without noticing herself she slowed her pace a bit at his voice, almost eager to obey him and talk. Her own thoughts scared her and Maria forced herself to take the last steps. She reached the door and pushed the button to open it.

"After it's all over, then," she heard him almost whisper his previous words as the door closed behind her. She almost ran through the corridor, his words still on her mind. Director Fury believed that the Avengers were Earth's last hope. They better succeed, Maria thought to herself. She was not going to face Loki ever again, not alone at least.

* * *

Maria was sure her heart skipped more than just a single beat when Tony Stark got the nuke through the portal. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly from relief, leaning to the counter with her hands. And when they saw the chitauri fall one by one and Stark actually survive the suicide mission, the feeling was almost surreal. A sad smile found it's way on her features as she opened her eyes again and looked around. Every single Agent on the Helicarrier was celebrating, jumping up and down and laughing from tremendous joy. Of course for Maria, any many more, a shadow of a certain agent's death never left their hearts.

Maria glanced at her Director. He tall man with an eye patch was smiling slightly but it wasn't only joy of their victory that could be seen in it. It was also pride. The Avengers had succeeded in what had looked like an impossible mission for a group of so different people. Fury had been right all along, as always. Maria shook her head a bit at herself, a small smile still on her lips. When no one saw, she let a tear fall from her eye. She kept a moment of silence for every single agent and civilian that had suffered from the events of past days. She thought of Coulson – no – Phil. His name was Phil. Biting her lip, she tried not to let any more tears. She lifted her head up with a sigh and let the smile find her lips again. Now that she'd started, she actually couldn't stop smiling. She was just glad this day was over.

Almost over. There was still the aftermath of things to deal with. There always was. And Maria had a feeling in her gut that it would also mean dealing with one certain power-hungry super villain.

* * *

_**Yes, the ending DOES leave room for a second chapter but if it does happen, it might take some time. R&R?**_


End file.
